I see these posts where people complain of anxiety. Crying before work, crying during work, dreading going into the hospital.
I'm just thankful that I'm not the patient. I split my weeks into what I want to accomplish. One week, it was to ensure that I checked the orders every half an hour. The next week, it was that I's and O's were okay. Focusing on one item at a time allowed me some mastery over it. Granted, it was during my orientation, but I've built on that, and I don't look at work as something to be dreaded, but rather as an experience to get it all right. I'm at that point.
Nursing is overwhelming. Focus on what you can change at this time, and those tasks that have an immediate effect on your patient. Look at your weakness, and improve it. Work is a challenge, but it's one I'm prepared for. I finished nursing school, I passed the NCLEX. I'm not going to know everything, but I will get better as I go. Much like the dreaded care plans, have a plan for yourself.
Know the areas you need to focus on. Make a list. Get good at the things you occasionally miss. The most important things. When you have that down, go to the next item.
No one expects you to know it all. It's okay that you don't. Don't cry after every shift, because really, what is that accomplishing? Nothing. Have a plan. Become the nurse you want to be in small steps. That's okay.
I'm still here, just worked the last few days. It would've been better had the post said "I totally get the anxiety", because it does come off as condescending. For that, I apologize.
I would've loved to have a thread that gave me an idea of what I could do when I was stressed at work. I hate to see people who are constantly stressed or have anxiety. This is how I worked through it, because what I was doing wasn't working. I thought it might be helpful to others who have anxiety. This website tells us to create a title that will get your attention. I consider this accomplished.
I recognize that you can respond however you want in a public forum. That's all well and fine, and I'll take any criticism you can type up. But be beneficial to the thread as well. Type out what has helped you, if anything. What you've tried and found does not work. This is the only thing that I've found that has gotten me into a rhythm at work. Any other suggestions or hints would be helpful, but I am thankful for the feedback. You're right, it does sound condescending.
Again, don't be afraid to go to your doctor and tell them "This is what I'm doing, and it's not working." Ask them for help. Taking medication for anxiety doesn't make you weak, it just means that you recognize you need some help. I would never tell a patient that they shouldn't take a medication that would help their issue.
I'm glad this post has been read, even if you took it as condescending. I'm glad there is actual talk from nurses about the anxiety they feel at work, because this will help others realize that they are not alone. Nurses who are brand new and those who have been doing this a while have anxiety. If you have anxiety, you're not alone!
This is insight concerning how one new nurse has dealt with it. It's not going to work for everyone, but perhaps something you've done might. I would've appreciated it a few months ago.
Thank you for all the replies. If it helps others to come up with a plan, or to see they are not alone, then this entire thread was worth it.
Any job you have to take anti anxiety medications to perform means one of two things or both. 1) the job or area of the job is too stressful for that person, or 2) there is too much expected of nurses in general and it is the system itself. There just is not enough time to be able to feel like you were able to give the time and attention to patients that is needed.
I never hear of people in other professions say their job is so stressful that they needed to go on SSRIs or other antianxiety/depression medications. That tells me right there that the profession is overwhelming- especially in acute care. Give us less patients with more support and a lot of the need to go on antianxiety medication would be gone. I think it is common sense. I know of so many nurses who are on medications because of their jobs.
I think nurse to patients ratios is THE ISSUE which has the most impact on nurse job satisfaction. What the suits don't realize is that their bottom line would improve in the long term with less turnover, fewer med errors, and higher patient satisfaction scores. Yes, short term they are paying more in salaries and benefits, but those would be regained down the line with the other pluses gained from giving nurses the ability to provide quality safe care.
It's so obvious, yet apparently so elusive to those with the power to change it.
In regards to my former workplace, I estimate that 80% of the nurses were on antidepressants, and/or anxiolytics, and/or sleep aids. Its a little weird when discussing Celexa versus Lexapro is a normal topic of discussion during an afterwork meet up.
I'm not sure if this post is a humblebrag or meant to be some kind of sermon to we infidels, but I would redirect the OP to the part of nursing school (psych/behavioral) where we were taught that everyone has distinctly different personalities and experiences the stressors of life in their own unique way. I would also offer the opinion that somebody who carries themselves, week after month after year, to something that causes them such crippling anxiety as to cry before their shift or physically be sick is infinitely more courageous than somebody to whom it all comes natural. I must also say though: such a judgmental, inconsiderate opinion doesn't come as a surprise to me given some of the prevailing attitudes I've encountered among nurses in my time.
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
I take meds for major depressive disorder and GAD.
Its what allows me to be a functioning member of society. As opposed to curled up in the corner in a foetal position rocking.
I look at it this way, if I had diabetes I'd take medication to keep my sugar levels within safe parameters. I object to the idea that somehow if we need to take pysch meds over any length of time that we are somehow deficent as human beings.
When someone needs to take anxiety medication to perform their job that is a red flag. Why should a job be so stressful that one needs to take medication to actually be able to do it? I am a person who has severe social anxiety and generalized anxiety. I dreaded going to work because of the time constraints and the responsibility of being a nurse. I have tried different SSRIs and even SNRIs to combat anxiety. Could never find one that did not have horrendous side effects so will never try another. I know many nurses who have to take anxiety medications to cope with their jobs. I think the system of nursing is broken if so many of us need anti anxiety medication to cope.
I love my patients and love to take care of people but the stress of nursing drove me away from the bedside. I have had to take time away m from being a nurse. I can only see myself working as a nurse one or two days a week at the most and working in another profession the rest of the week. It is a shame really because I enjoy patient care.
Tenebrae- I did not say in my post that people were defective because of having anxiety. I know what it is like to have crippling social anxiety- have not been on a date in 17 years because of social anxiety- so I know what it is like and am not saying you or anyone else is defective. I also have GAD. In hindsight I should never have went into nursing because it is so stressful and that my personality is not a good fit even though I love to take care of my patients. But who knows how stressful a job is until they are actually doing it. If there were a medication I could tolerate I would be taking it.
My post was about how so many nurses I know who are on medication to deal with nursing and were not on it before they became a nurse. That to me tells me nursing is way more stressful than it needs to be but because we have to many demands placed upon us when we are dealing with human lives it leads to many nurses needing it to cope with nursing. It is the system that is broke- not the nurses.
I wrote "Why should a job be so stressful that one needs to take medication to actually be able to do it?"
This is vastly different than someone who needs to take medications for GAD and major depressive disorder. I apologize if the meaning was not clear and would never offend a person who suffers from these afflictions. I am talking about nursing as a cause of stress.
It's wonderful that you've got it all figured out, and after only 6 months as a nurse! In all seriousness, anxiety at work can be a result of many issues such as hostile co-workers, unsafe patient loads, unreasonable patient/family, personal problems at home, preexisting anxiety issues, etc. I hope you never find yourself in any of those situations that can bring about anxiety issues but please do realize that just because you're oblivious to the world of nursing right now, it doesn't mean that you'll never find yourself in this situation especially with the alarming rate at which new nurses are experiencing burnout. You said it yourself in the title "I don't get the anxiety...", and it's true that you don't. You really don't. So please don't lecture anyone on it.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Thank you for all the replies. If it helps others to come up with a plan, or to see they are not alone, then this entire thread was worth it.
I'm sorry to sound blunt, and I understand maybe your intention was misconstrued in your first post, but since anxiety and what to do about it is one of the most frequently discussed topics on this board, to include articles written about the topic, I feel compelled to point out that your belief that if not for your post people would be lost and floundering in their anxiety is incorrect.
I don't think attention grabbing headlines are suggested. I think descriptive and concise thread titles are suggested.
OP I think you meant well but your post could be offensive to some. I am not a nurse yet but I know for a fact that nursing is hard and it probably made harder by short staffing, mediocre policies, etc. I don't see myself as someone who would cry at every shift but I do suffer from anxiety sometimes so I could see that possibly being an issue for me at some point, although not to the point I would not be able to do what I had to do or be able to put things in perspective. Its possible you have a higher tolerance for stress or you simply process stress differently. Maybe you are in a better work environment (I have read some horror stories on here). Maybe there are other factors (i.e. stress at home) that is compounding the stress at work . Also crying is not a sign of weakness; in fact its a form of catharsis. Honestly I would rather the nurse that vented or cried every now than rather than hold everything inside and then explode at a patient or something.
Ok just saw read reply regarding OP and the anxiety. I agree that a better topic would have been something like "How I dealt with stress." Glad that you got the help you felt you needed.
"As far as the nursing aspect, again, I'm worried that many of these schools re not giving their students enough clinical time, which can contribute to feeling overwhelmed once you hit the floors."
This! Just this hits the nail right on the head! I have 9 months until I graduate and I am terrified! Even with the little clinical time we get, there are many,many things we do not have an opportunity to do. Nobody wants to look like an idiot when they start a job and nobody wants to harm a patient, but I feel as though without the proper training one or the other will happen. So YES! I am stressed and I'm months away from even trying to get a job. And just for the record, I cry from the stress now! no shame in that.
missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN
869 Posts
I'm still here, just worked the last few days. It would've been better had the post said "I totally get the anxiety", because it does come off as condescending. For that, I apologize.
I would've loved to have a thread that gave me an idea of what I could do when I was stressed at work. I hate to see people who are constantly stressed or have anxiety. This is how I worked through it, because what I was doing wasn't working. I thought it might be helpful to others who have anxiety. This website tells us to create a title that will get your attention. I consider this accomplished.
I recognize that you can respond however you want in a public forum. That's all well and fine, and I'll take any criticism you can type up. But be beneficial to the thread as well. Type out what has helped you, if anything. What you've tried and found does not work. This is the only thing that I've found that has gotten me into a rhythm at work. Any other suggestions or hints would be helpful, but I am thankful for the feedback. You're right, it does sound condescending.
Again, don't be afraid to go to your doctor and tell them "This is what I'm doing, and it's not working." Ask them for help. Taking medication for anxiety doesn't make you weak, it just means that you recognize you need some help. I would never tell a patient that they shouldn't take a medication that would help their issue.
I'm glad this post has been read, even if you took it as condescending. I'm glad there is actual talk from nurses about the anxiety they feel at work, because this will help others realize that they are not alone. Nurses who are brand new and those who have been doing this a while have anxiety. If you have anxiety, you're not alone!
This is insight concerning how one new nurse has dealt with it. It's not going to work for everyone, but perhaps something you've done might. I would've appreciated it a few months ago.
Thank you for all the replies. If it helps others to come up with a plan, or to see they are not alone, then this entire thread was worth it.